The Most Memorable Birthday
by Kristen3
Summary: For Daphne's special day, she decides to have a family brunch rather than a romantic evening with her husband. But conversation around the table reminds the Crane family how lucky they are. Post-series one-shot.


**Author's Note: **This story took an unexpectedly long time to write, considering it's an idea I had over Thanksgiving. But I think the end result was worth it, if I may say so! :)

Daphne couldn't help feeling excited. It was her birthday, and, rather than have a romantic dinner as Niles suggested, she chose to have a family brunch. Niles was slightly disappointed, but he was more than willing to go along with whatever his wife desired. So now, here they were, waiting for Martin and Ronee to show up.

"Are they here yet?" David asked impatiently. The three-year-old always loved spending time with his grandfather and step-grandmother.

"No," Daphne answered, looking around. The diner was rather full, but she couldn't see her in-laws anywhere.

She was about to ask Niles if they should get a table and wait for the others when she heard a voice from behind them. "Are we late?" Martin asked.

A wave of relief went through Daphne at the sight of him. "We just got here ourselves. But David was getting rather anxious!"

At the mention of his grandson's name, Martin looked down at the little boy. "Hey, little buddy! How are you?"

"Grandpa!" David excitedly hugged Martin.

"Happy birthday," Ronee said, hugging Daphne. Predictably, her husband seemed to have forgotten the reason they'd come here.

After a quick round of hugs and hellos, they were quickly escorted to a table.

The waitress got the group some menus. Seeing that there was a child with them, she made sure to get a special placemat for David. She also handed him a small cup of crayons. The placemat was plain white, but it clearly said _Color this placemat_ at the top.

"David, what do you say?" Daphne asked.

"Thank you," David replied automatically. The Moon boys had never been known for their politeness, but Daphne was making sure her son was raised differently. It made her proud to hear that her efforts were paying off.

The waitress smiled, and took the family's drink orders before walking away. Martin and Ronee made small talk with Daphne. Niles was about to join in the conversation, when he heard a small voice next to him. "Daddy, color with me."

Niles turned to David, surprised to see his son offering him a crayon. It had been decades since Niles had last colored, or even held a crayon. But, not wanting to disappoint his little boy, he smiled. "OK. What should we draw?"

David shrugged. He wasn't really an artist yet, but he liked making different colors on the paper.

For a moment, Niles felt uncertain. Art, at least this kind, had never really been his thing. He was always far more interested in things like opera, or classical music. But then he glanced across the table, and saw Daphne laughing at something his father had said. She was as beautiful as she'd been the first time he saw her. Suddenly, he knew what he was going to draw. He reached into the cup for a red crayon. He realized this was actually more fun than he'd expected. It was almost like being a kid again, except he'd never really done this when he _was_ a kid. In just a few minutes his masterpiece was complete.

Daphne knew she'd made the perfect choice in making her birthday a family celebration. Ever since Frasier had left the city, the remaining Cranes spent as much time together as possible. They might be a small family, but Daphne didn't mind a bit.

Niles noticed that David was losing interest in coloring. He'd managed to fill up most of the placemat with a bunch of scribbles of various colors. It might not be Picasso, but Niles couldn't have been prouder. There seemed to be a lull in conversation with the other adults. This would be the perfect opportunity to show Daphne what he'd done. "My love, David and I have been very busy coloring over here. Look what we made." Niles held up the placemat. Besides David's scribbles, there was a heart, and the words _I Love Daphne XO _very carefully drawn on one side of the mat.

Daphne didn't know what touched her more: the earnest "drawings" of her son, or Niles' sweet message. "That's beautiful," she said.

"You really like it, Mommy?" David asked.

"Oh, yes, sweetheart. It looks like you must've used every one of those crayons!"

David grinned proudly.

"What about mine?" Niles couldn't resist asking.

"I love it," Daphne answered. "And I love you." She leaned across the table to kiss her husband. Just at that moment, the waitress returned.

"Geeze, after a display like that, I'm not even sure I've got an appetite," Martin said rolling his eyes.

"Oh, be quiet, you rotten old sod!" Daphne replied.

The waitress quickly took the group's breakfast orders, leaving them alone once again.

When the waitress was gone, David looked at his mother, his eyes wide with alarm. "Mommy, are you mad at Grandpa?"

"No, of course not. Your grandfather and I have known each other for a very long time. If it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have met your daddy."

Surprised, David turned to his father, silently asking if this was true.

Niles nodded. "I first met your mommy when she was working for your uncle Frasier, helping him take care of Dad. I thought she must've been an angel. I couldn't be more grateful that she finally became my wife, and now we have you." He gave his son a quick, one-armed hug.

"Yeah," Martin agreed. "If it wasn't for your mother, I'd probably be stuck in some nursing home somewhere once Fras got tired of me. Your father and your uncle and I didn't get along that well till she came along."

Daphne could feel herself blushing. She was grateful for the praise from her family, but she couldn't help feeling it was somewhat undeserved. The way the Crane family came together wasn't just her doing. Everybody had learned to give a little. Not wanting to be further embarrassed, Daphne quickly changed the subject by talking about David, and the way his vocabulary seemed to multiply by the day.

The brunch was one of the best times the family had gotten together. Even though she knew she would've enjoyed a romantic evening with her husband, there wasn't a doubt in Daphne's mind that there couldn't be a more perfect way to spend her birthday. She and Niles made their way to the car, following behind David, who excitedly ran ahead.

"Well, my love, did you enjoy your birthday celebration?" Niles couldn't resist kissing her. She was always beautiful, but she looked even more so by candlelight. He wished he'd been able to give her an unforgettable romantic evening. But there was always next year.

"Yes," Daphne said, smiling at him. "I know how you love to take me out to a fancy restaurant, and I always find meself falling even more in love with you each time. But David's growing up so fast, and I love your father and Ronee so much. Your father led me to you. I thought, just this once, we should include them."

"I know. I admit this wasn't exactly what I would've chosen, but I found myself enjoying it more than I expected. David reminded me today that sometimes it's important to stop and focus on the simple things. I don't know if he'll remember coloring with me today, but I'll never forget it. David is just one of the wonderful things I wouldn't have in my life if it weren't for you. Thank you so much."

Daphne thought of all the things she wanted to thank him for. The list was endless. But maybe words weren't important right now. She remembered Niles' drawing from earlier. Love could be expressed in so many different ways. It might take her a lifetime to figure out how to tell Niles how much he meant to her. Fortunately, that's exactly how much time she had.

**The End**


End file.
